That is the message today from the Blues boss who marked his first month in charge at Portman Road by declaring that it is time to give Town fans something new to celebrate.

While moving away from the bottom of the Championship is the one and only priority at present, McCarthy insists Ipswich have the potential to be fighting at the right end of the table – and beyond.

And while acknowledging the club’s proud history, which boasts a Division One title and FA and UEFA Cup wins, McCarthy is only interested in the here and now.

That starts with today’s difficult-looking trip to Bolton Wanderers with the manager calling on his side to build on their best performance of the season – Tuesday night’s 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

McCarthy explained: “With respect to the past, what people are interested in is the future. That has to be what is important at the moment.

“If we do well in the future, we can all embrace the past and talk about how good it was. If it is rubbish going forward, people get more and more bothered about the past.”

Not for one minute is McCarthy ignoring the lauded achievements of Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, but like Town’s past players, he believes it is time to move on.

He said: “I know the past and the history, but what we are interested in is the future of the club. I see Mick Mills and Charlie Woods, I was a friend of Sir Bobby Robson’s, Warky (John Wark) and Steve McCall are around the club – and I like it when they come in.

“I embrace all that and they are welcome. Everywhere I have been, you enjoy the history but people are more bothered about what happens today and next week.

“I think there are 18 teams in the Championship that have been in the Premier League and that is the promised land, it’s utopia where everybody wants to be.

“We want to be there but this season we need to concentrate on staying in the Championship first. But I wouldn’t have come here had I not thought there was potential to do well.”